Holiday photo cards with flair? Reader Q&A

Can you suggest some more holiday photo card sites? I’m a little bored with the same ole, same ole every year. Or, what about a site for creating your own cards with flair? -Ginger
I am fairly certain that Holiday Rule #1 states that you must send out photo cards once you have children. A lot of people must agree since I get a loads of holiday photo cards each year. But after getting, and sending, the same basic photo card year after year, I too yearn to see something a little more design-y and inspired, like these options we’ve found from some of our favorite card-making sites. -Christina

If your photos are amazing and gorgeous on their own, I love the holiday cards from Pinhole Press with their simple, clean designs that give the photo top billing (top). And if the eco warrior in you feels a little torn sending out paper cards, Pinhole Press’ use of wind power and sustainably obtained paper should ease your mind a bit.

Have yourself a mod-y little Christmas with Feterie’s new Mod Cards featuring holiday icons like a dotted gift, a tree or wreath. The surprise comes tucked inside: Your photo on the inside cover along with a personalized message. You can also skip the photo if you’d like, but you’d be breaking Holiday Rule #1.

I sent out some Minted cards last year and got loads of whoa! reactions from everyone who received one of their amazing Minibook Holiday photo cards. With room for multiple photos and copy, this is much more than the same old holiday card. A little less costly, but still gorgeous, are their Yearline photo cards which are waaaaay cooler than the holiday letter.

For those who really want to have a say on the details of their card, Finn & Roe’s custom cards are a great option and so much easier, and less messy, than total DIY. Just find a general design you like best, and then tinker around with the exact color and pattern, and sometimes the font, you like best.

Every new kids’ movie is in 3D this year, why not your holiday cards? Snapily’s 3D holiday cards are even cooler in that they don’t require any funny-looking glasses to see the pop-off-the-paper image. I also love their Animated Photo Cards which “flip” from one photo to another depending on how you hold the card. Great for when you just can’t decide which shot you love best.

You may have caught our very recent post on Paper Culture’s gorgeous full-of-holiday-cheer cards that go far beyond the traditional reds and greens of the season. I love the bold graphics, the bright modern hues and I especially like the cheeky Naughty/Nice card since I’m sure one of my three is bound to be scowling in the annual photo.

And if getting a holiday-worthy shot of my trio isn’t possible, especially when one kid is forever scratching their face, getting over a cold or battling “in between” hair cuts, one way to still capture our images for the holiday card is to do it in silhouette. Simply Silhouettes can turn our images into one of their unique custom cards. No more worries about blinking at the flash!

For loads of other great holiday card ideas, please search our archives for Holiday Cards and check out those from Bumble Ink, Olliegraphic, Shutterfly, Night Owl Paper Goods, Hello Lucky and many others.

I would like to put in a little plug for cardstore.com. My SIL is an illustrator and has a lot of designs up at this shop. She gets a commission on any of her designs and I like knowing that some of my cash is going right to her. You can customize extensively, even printing one or more of your own photos on the inside of a folding card with an artist-designed front.

Love all of these! So wish you had run this before Thanksgiving when it seemed crucial to get photo card orders in. Also wish I wasn’t friends with everyone on my card list on Facebook too – seems redundant yet still necessary.